Teammates vote Eric Weddle as Chargers MVP

Chargers players didn't get it right in the win-loss column this year.

But they got it right at the ballot box when they named safety Eric Weddle as the team's MVP, as announced by the club on Friday.

Weddle, the team's leader in tackles (103) and interceptions (3), was a durable playmaker who also helped to coordinate a much-improved defense.

Weddle missed a few tackles, but he was good in both run and pass defense. Teammates said he is a sharp guy who reads offenses well and helps the defense make timely adjustments.

Here were the other award winners selected by Chargers players:

• Corey Liuget, defensive player of the year (the David Griggs Memorial Award).

Liuget, an end in the 3-4 front who also plays tackle in other packages, had five sacks in games 11-15 and leads the defensive line in sacks (7), tackles (57), tackles for loss (13) and passes defensed (9). The total of passes defensed is second in the NFL among defensive linemen, trailing Houston's J.J. Watt's 15.

I think Liuget was a good choice. Donald Butler may have been the selection had he stayed in the lineup. The inside linebacker was having a strong season until missing three-plus games, starting with the injury against the Ravens in the 11th game. Kendall Reyes should contend for this award next year. The rookie end is further along than Liuget was as a rookie last year.

• Malcom Floyd, offensive player of the year (the Rodney Culver Memorial Award).

Floyd, elevated into the No. 1 receiving spot by Vincent Jackson's departure, had 56 catches, 814 yards and five touchdowns in 14 games before going onto injured reserve.

I won't quibble with Floyd's selection, but I think it reflects how uninspiring of a season it was for the entire offense. I'm not sure there was a better candidate. I would've given consideration to Ronnie Brown, Antonio Gates and Philip Rivers.

For Rivers, it marks the first time he's been shut out of the team awards as a starter, a role that began in 2006. It's another reminder that he is looking to bounce back from his turnover-prone ways. I think that process that appears underway. A solid offensive line, a better pass-catching corps and perhaps a fresh coaching perspective could allow Rivers to reclaim this award (or the team MVP honor, which he won or shared in every year from 2008-11).

• Mike Scifres, special teams players of the year.

Norv Turner has said Scifres had one of the best years he's witnessed from a punter. Scifres survived horrendous blocked punts (neither of which was his fault) in two consecutive games to have a good year. He will set a club record for punting average in a season. He has averaged 48.2 yards per punt, well above the team mark of 46.7 that he set in 2010. He has landed 30 of 76 punts inside the 20-yard line.

I thought Scifres an easy choice. In particular, his performance against the Ravens was one of the best I've seen from a punter. Gunner Darrell Stuckey, too,had a sturdy year for the special teams, and kicker Nick Novak had a plus year.

• Nick Hardwick, lineman of the year.

Hardwick, who won the same award last year, joined right guard Louis Vasquez as the only two offensive linemen to start every game this year. As a result of shuffling at the other three line spots, Hardwick's responsibilities grew. The center is the communication hub, and Hardwick is described by teammates as a heady leader.

I thought Vasquez as deserving of the award. I'm not sure he had the lesser season of the two. But Hardwick plays a position that's more significant because of the call responsibilities.

I had Spikes (and a few other players in mind) when I wrote last month that national pundits were wrong about the Chargers showing a lack of effort. At 36, Spikes is wrapping up his 15th season. He has never appeared in a playoff game, despite a career that included more than 1.700 tackles, and teammates are sickened that he again won't make the postseason. He won the same award last year.

Randy McMichael, another veteran who's never reached the playoffs, is another durable, steadfast performer who commands teammates' respect.